Mark Melancon Hopes To Put 2017 Behind Him

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon is looking to move on from an unforgettable 2017 campaign. Melancon spoke about his focus for 2018 and how he won’t forget about 2017, but will learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again. He is also focused on being productive and healthy. Melancon dealt with injuries […]

Brandon Crawford In Lineup Friday

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) is back in the lineup Friday as the team’s designated hitter. Crawford jammed his right index finger while sliding back on a pickoff throw on Wednesday. It’s a good sign that he is able to hit and it shouldn’t be too much longer before he’s back on defense. […]

Ryder Jones Out 10 Days

San Francisco Giants infielder/outfielder Ryder Jones (hamstring) will miss a minimum of 10 more days. Jones suffered a hamstring injury early in camp. Jones struggled last year in his first big league action, hitting just .173 in 155 at-bats. With first baseman Brandon Belt healthy and third baseman Evan Longoria in the picture, Jones has been working […]

Hector Sanchez Sidelined For Two Weeks

San Francisco Giants catcher Hector Sanchez (hamstring) underwent an MRI on Thursday and will be sidelined two weeks with a hamstring injury. It was never a sure thing that Sanchez would make the Opening Day roster, as the club has Buster Posey with catcher Nick Hundley as the primary backup. Sanchez can be avoided in […]

Buster Posey Remains Out With Ankle Injury

San Francisco Giants catcher/first baseman Buster Posey (ankle) will be held out at least through next Tuesday. Manager Bruce Bochy said that Posey’s left ankle still “barks” when he hits and that he doesn’t want him catching until next Tuesday at the earliest. Posey has seen his power numbers decline in recent years, but still […]

Brandon Crawford Held Out Thursday

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) is being held out of Thursday’s lineup after jamming his right index finger on Wednesday. The club announced on Wednesday that he was pulled as a precaution. Crawford isn’t expected to miss much time and should be good to go in a few days.

2018 Relief Pitchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

As we move closer to the 2018 baseball season, at RotoBaller we have released our Dynasty Rankings. We have been dissecting the tiers of each position, showing fantasy owners where to find value in their draft. We have a total of 54 relief pitchers ranked in the first six tiers. When looking at dynasty leagues, one […]

Brandon Crawford Jams Finger

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (finger) jammed his right index finger on Wednesday. The injury happened on a pickoff attempt. Crawford didn’t undergo X-rays and the injury isn’t considered serious. Crawford is hoping to bounce back after he struggled with the bat in 2017. He is a better real-life player than fantasy player, but […]

Mark Melancon Throws On Wednesday

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (forearm) threw for the first time since this past September on Tuesday. The closer threw 20 pitches and said he felt fine. Melancon is coming off a rough season but should be a strong bounce-back candidate. Owners who draft Melancon would be wise to keep an eye on relief pitchers […]

Johnny Cueto On Track To Debut Saturday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (flu) threw 35 pitches on Tuesday and is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut on Saturday. Cueto will be looking to bounce back in 2018 after struggling to a 4.52 ERA across 147 1/3 innings in 2017. He is likely to fall in drafts due to last […]

2018 Starting Pitchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our preseason rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. In a dynasty league, it can be tough to decide between a proven veteran or […]

Chris Sale Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our rankings debate with a look at one of the game's most dominant arms. Major League Baseball's reigning strikeout king is a consensus top-four starting pitcher, but his exact draft value is still in question. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed […]

Chris Heston Faces Plenty Of Competition To Make Giants Roster

After returning to the San Francisco Giants in the offseason, starting pitcher Chris Heston is likely to begin the season in Triple-A. Heston spent the majority of 2017 in the minor leagues for the Dodgers, Mariners and Twins. The Giants currently have Derek Holland, Andrew Suarez, Tyler Beede, Chris Stratton and Ty Blach ahead of […]

2018 Third Basemen - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

The hot corner runs relatively deep in terms of draft value this year. While stalwarts like Arenado, Machado, and Bryant easily claim the top tier, you can find a former MVP at the ninth spot, a back-to-back 30-HR hitter at 14, and perhaps the best prospect in all of baseball at the 20th spot. Without […]

ADP Myth Busters - Debunking Myths in the NL West

This series will attempt to help fantasy baseball owners make informed opinions on players whose ADP may not be in line with their value for the 2018 season. As fantasy owners, we can fall into a "group think" mentality and start to overlook certain teams and players. If we aren't careful, those ideas can turn […]

Top 500: Mixed Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (February)

Spring training is officially here! To celebrate, today we are here to look at our staff's updated 2018 fantasy baseball mixed league rankings for February and the top 500 players. Our rankings are updated weekly, but enough changes have taken place recently (see humidor, Arizona) to release a new overall list. Over the next few weeks we will also be publishing individual tiered […]

Champ or Chump - Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza Jr.

Traditionally, the Tampa Bay Rays operate in relative obscurity. That has changed this offseason, as trading away Evan Longoria, Jake Odorizzi, Corey Dickerson, and Steven Souza Jr. has led to allegations of "tanking" comparable to the Miami Marlins. The news that Brent Honeywell may require Tommy John surgery certainly doesn't help either. Despite appearances, the […]

2017 Breakouts Due for Regression - Relief Pitchers

2017 was a great season for those who follow the "Don't Pay for Saves" strategy. Actually, it's more than a strategy, it's a lifestyle. Corey Knebel blossomed into an elite closer, Fernando Rodney almost matched his age in saves, Brandon Kintzler/Sean Doolittle/Brandon Maurer/Felipe Rivero/Brad Hand all had over 20 saves, and even Bud Norris was […]

Yoenis Cespedes Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

Today's article is one in a series of debates regarding the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers with the […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - AL Relief Pitchers

The early days of draft season typically result in volatile ADP data, as values adjust rapidly to a growing sample size. Eventually, players fall much closer to their intrinsic worth as fantasy owners become inundated with news, analysis and pundit commentary. So, I'm here today to serve as another voice to the copious reams of […]

2018 Shortstops - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our preseason rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. In a dynasty league, it can be tough to decide between a proven veteran or […]

Buster Posey Held Out Saturday

San Francisco Giants catcher/first baseman Buster Posey (ankle) was held out on Saturday with a mild ankle tweak. There has been no update on if this will be a lingering injury, but the Giants have every reason to play it safe with Posey. Posey should be a top-five catcher this year and is a safe […]

Hunter Pence Takes Batting Practice Saturday

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence (neck) took batting practice Saturday. Pence had been scratched from Friday’s game with a stiff neck but it appears he is better for now. Pence will play right field for the Giants this year but has seen his stock fall over the past few seasons due to injuries. Aside from […]

Ryder Jones To Undergo MRI

San Francisco Giants infielder/outfielder Ryder Jones (hamstring) will undergo an MRI on his right hamstring. Jones tweaked his hamstring on Thursday. Jones got some run last year before landing on the disabled list with a wrist injury. Jones will play some outfield this spring, as he is blocked at both first base and third base by […]

Hunter Pence Scratched With Stiff Neck

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence was scratched from Friday’s contest with a stiff neck. Manager Bruce Bochy mentioned earlier in the week how he’d like to rest veterans this weekend and only outfielder Andrew McCutchen will be in the lineup. Pence should be considered day-to-day. Pence no longer holds much fantasy value as age […]

2018 Second Basemen - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the second base position. Second base is a very intriguing position for dynasty leagues, as there is a changing of the guard that could come as soon as a year or two. Out will be the mainstay names of Robinson Cano, Brian Dozier, and Daniel Murphy, […]

Steven Duggar Could Start Opening Day

Despite the San Francisco Giants signing outfielder Austin Jackson in the offseason, outfielder Steven Duggar has a chance to earn the nod on Opening Day for the Giants. Outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Hunter Pence will hold down the corners, but Duggar’s defense is above average and he has put up good numbers in the minor leagues. […]

Madison Bumgarner To Start Opening Day For Giants

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy has announced that starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner will start on Opening Day. This comes as no surprise, as he is one of the best pitchers in the game. Bumgarner spent time on the disabled list in 2017 for the first time in his career after injuring his shoulder. He […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - First Basemen

RotoBallers, it’s that time of year when we’re starting to really get into the grind of draft season. With that comes plenty of early ADP data that will either have you jumping for joy or scratching your head. With this article, we aim to bring you a few first basemen who we believe are either […]

Mark Melancon Expected To Be 100 Percent By The End Of Spring

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (forearm) is expected to be 100 percent by the end of spring training. Melancon had a rough debut with the Giants in 2017, as he dealt with injuries and disappointed on the field. The closer underwent surgery in September to […]